The Power of Love
by MiraculousDragonMaster
Summary: A fiery and adventurous prince wonders what's beyond his kingdom's border. A hard-hearted criminal scarred by her past is seeking revenge in the darkness over at the other side. These two seem like polar opposites, but when fate brings them together, they see that they may be connected in more ways than one. An AU based off Strange Magic with a few twists.
1. Prologue

The Power of Love

 **A/N: All right! I had this idea on the back burner for a while, and I wanted to start on it.**

 **But, before you guys read it, there's a little something to keep in mind. This AU is based off _Strange Magic_. And, I know that a lot of people don't like it, saying that it was horrible. **

**However, I watched it, and although there were some parts that were a little cringe-worthy, it wasn't that bad. That's my opinion. If you don't agree, keep it to yourself.**

 **So anyway, I wanted to try something like this. Don't worry, there won't be any songs, and there will be a few twists. Just give this prologue a read first if you're interested. And action!**

Prologue

In a mystical land of full of magic and mystery, there was the beautiful kingdom of Kanto. The inhabitants were Pokémon and fairies. No, not the kind of fairies in classical fairytales that have fairy dust shimmering from their wings. These fairies were special. They were called Trainees.

They each have wings of a Bug-type Pokémon that has the ability to fly, and of different patterns. Courtesy of a blessing from Rayquaza, the Legendary Pokémon that rules over the skies, their ancestors were granted wings, and they eventually passed down the power of flight to their descendants. Also, all Trainees have psychic powers and the power to understand Pokémon generated from their wings. No wings, no powers; and a powerless Trainee is a dead Trainee.

The Kanto Kingdom wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, though. On the other side of the east river border, there was the mysterious Shadow Forest. This strip of dark land is where criminals, both Trainees and Pokémon, go to for the rest of their lives. These two lands were side by side, but they couldn't be further apart.

But, despite all of that opposition, all along that border, magical flowers, forget-me-nots, grew. These special blue flowers bloom between light and darkness. They were used to make love potions. However, not all love stories start as a happy beginning.

Years ago, there were two best friends. They did everything together, and they were inseparable. Soon, one of them fell in love with the other. But fearful of rejection, she asked the Mythical Pokémon, Diancie, to create a love potion for her to use on him. Though Diancie was better known to make beautiful diamonds for the royal family, they said the dust used to create the diamonds, along with the petals of the forget-me-not, can make the love potion.

However, someone else had her eye on her friend, for he is a prince, the next future ruler of the kingdom. So, out of jealousy, she made the lovesick girl spill all of the love potion and used a different one to erase the memories of the girl and the prince of each other, and blamed the entire incident on her. Since the memory loss potion was forbidden magic, the lovesick girl was banished to the Shadow Forest, along with her family, her Pokémon, and Diancie.

The girl, now lost of her memories of the one she loved, grew bitter and hard-hearted, believing that the potion didn't work. She declared herself the leader of the Shadow Forest, and vowed revenge on those who exiled her. Also, she began to destroy all the forget-me-nots so that they will be no more love potions, and locked Diancie away so that she can't make the potion anymore.

Meanwhile, throughout the years, the prince; though erased of all memories of his friend, felt drawn to the Shadow Forest. He always wondered what was out there, and he felt as if there was something waiting for him; as if there was a part of him over there. But, according to law, no one ever goes into the Shadow Forest. But one day, all that would change.

* * *

 **A/N: Not too bad, right? I've looked it up, and it said that forget-me-nots are also a symbol of love.**

 **Well, if you are intrigued, let me know in the reviews. But please be polite.**

 **I hope you guys liked it so far.**

 **Got to fly! (does it quickly to escape possible naysayers)**


	2. Worlds Apart

The Power of Love

 **A/N: Well, I was actually surprised that a lot of you were interested in this story. But in a good way. Now, let's get on with it! Roll it!**

 _Italics-_ **Pokémon speech.**

Chapter 1

Worlds Apart

Many years later, a Trainee, about 18 years old, was flying around the fields, examining the colorful flowers all over the ground. When he had found one that he liked, he picked it, and joined it with some other flowers that he picked in one hand. He hummed happily as he did so.

This Trainee was dressed in a white tuxedo with a red tie, but it had a few splotches of dirt on some areas. He also had on black dress shoes. He had wild raven hair with some twigs in it, chocolate brown eyes, and shining tan skin with marks on his upper cheeks. On his back were a pair of Vivillon wings with a Marine pattern. The light blue wings were shimmering in the sunlight. On his hip was a shiny silver sword.

Prince Ash then saw the forget-me-nots in the distance and stopped humming. He stared at the dark woods a few miles away from where he was. The trees were thick, dying, and there was no sign of any life out there.

There was that feeling again. Ever since he was 8, he would look over to the Shadow Forest and feel like he should go over there. But, it was forbidden to go over there. Yet, why does he get this feeling like there was something waiting for him there?

It was getting boring in the Kanto Kingdom. Nothing exciting as of late. Ash was never known to stay in one place for too long. He wants adventure, and maybe that's why he has the urge to cross the border.

" _Ash_!" A voice called his attention. Ash turned around and saw his Pokémon partner, Pikachu, hopping across the green leafy trees and jumped onto his right shoulder. " _Can you not fly so fast?_ "

"Sorry, buddy." Ash sheepishly grinned. He and Pikachu had been best friends for years; ever since they were 10 years old.

The prince then looked back over to the Shadow Forest. Pikachu noticed his Trainee's glances.

" _You still serious about removing the law about not going over there when you take the throne?_ " He asked.

"I still am considering it." Ash replied as he took off again.

" _But can you worry about that after today_?" Pikachu questioned.

"Why?" Ash asked. He knew it was a big day today, but he still wanted to know why.

" _So that you can focus on where you're flying?_ " Pikachu answered, pointing ahead of them.

Ash saw where he was heading and immediately stopped. He was right at the border. He looked down and saw the hundreds of blue flowers dotting patches of grass and muck on both sides.

"Forget-me-nots." Ash then saw some Dark types and Ghost types who were cutting down some of the blue flowers looking up at him and Pikachu, and they were not happy.

" _I think it's time we fly out of here._ " Pikachu nervously suggested.

"For once, I won't argue with you." Ash said.

A Gengar fired a Dark Pulse attack, and Ash nimbly dodged it. Pikachu leaped off his shoulder.

" _Take this!_ " He exclaimed as he unleashed a Thunderbolt. After he zapped the Gengar, he landed back on the prince's shoulder, and they both flew off.

After they did, a Piplup splattered with dried mud waddled up with an Ambipom, who was in the same dirty condition. They looked where Ash and Pikachu flew off.

" _Was he trying to get across and get a forget-me-not?_ " Piplup asked.

" _We better tell her."_ Ambipom said. She grabbed Piplup with her twin tails and placed him on her head. She then took off swinging through the dark trees.

" _She's not going to like this._ " Piplup said.

" _Don't worry._ " Ambipom assured her friend. " _I'll tell her._ "

* * *

After a hour of swinging deep into the Shadow Forest, the two arrived at a shady mansion. They swung through an open window and landed in front of a Trainee girl who was positioned in front of a fireplace. Her back was turned to them.

" _News from the border!_ " Ambipom announced. Piplup hopped off her head. " _A Trainee almost flew into the Forest._ " She hesitantly said.

The Trainee slowly began to turn around.

" _And he maybe was about to take a forget-me-not._ " Piplup said.

The Trainee girl growled angrily as she reached to her side and swung a sword of her own in the air.

Now, they could see her a little better. She had midnight blue hair in a low ponytail, bangs on her forehead, fair skin, and steel blue eyes; but there was no light in them. She wore a sleeveless black tunic with faded pink trim, black leggings, and dark brown combat boots. On her eyelids, she wore dark purple eyeshadow. Her wings were the shape of a Beautifly's, but they were painted dark brown to hide any sign of color.

" _Uh, Dawn?_ " Piplup asked his Trainee.

The Trainee, now known as Dawn, swung her sword hard into a wood post, making splinters fly.

"I hate this time of year." She hissed as she turned to her Pokémon. "Send more Pokémon and Trainees to destroy every last of those flowers! No flowers, no potion. No potion, no love." Dawn pulled her sword out of the post and sheathed it back on her hip. "Now, go!"

Immediately, Piplup and Ambipom left the room, leaving Dawn alone in the room.

* * *

After running away, the two Pokémon slowed their pace. They then came across an older woman, who looked exactly like Dawn, but she was dressed a bit more pleasantly. She wore an aqua green dress that had some dirt stains and matching slippers. Her wings were a Butterfree's, but in its Orange Islands form. Beside her was a Glameow who was constantly trying to keep herself clean.

"Hello, Piplup. Ambipom." She greeted them.

" _Johanna_." The two Pokémon greeted back cordially.

"Do you think you two can help me?" Johanna asked. The Water type and Normal type glanced at each other. They had a feeling of what was coming. "You know that your Trainee, who is also my daughter, is making everyone miserable with her ban on love."

The two nodded. Ever since Dawn declared herself leader of the Shadow Forest, she removed any and all signs of love. It was just reminders of her failure. (Which really wasn't).

"So, I have three perfect men that can cheer her up." Johanna said.

The Pokémon sweat dropped. Ever since Dawn has blossomed into womanhood, Johanna had been trying to match her up with almost every man in the Shadow Forest, much to her daughter's chagrin. But, she has turned down every single one.

" _No offense, ma'am, but you know that Dawn won't like this._ " Ambipom said.

"Well, no harm in trying." Johanna replied, leaving the hallway, with Glameow trailing behind her.

The two had a bad feeling that this wasn't going to end well.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope y'all enjoyed this first real chapter. Making Dawn a bit more rebellious wasn't easy. But in the next chapter, we'll see what's happening back in the Kanto Kingdom.**

 **And I know, you're wondering why Ash doesn't have Butterfree wings. I was going back and forth between that and the Marine Vivillon pattern, but I like the Vivillon wings better.**

 **Please leave a review about what you guys think.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	3. A Happy Beginning Gone Wrong

The Power of Love

 **A/N: Here's a quick warning before we start! For those of you who like a certain girl from Kalos, she's not so sweet in this story. You'll find out soon enough. If you don't want to know, don't read this.**

 **Now that's out of the way, let's get on with Chapter 2. Roll it!**

 _Italics-_ **Pokémon speech**

Chapter 2

A Happy Beginning Gone Wrong

Ash flew as quick as he can to hide his "attempt" of almost entering the Shadow Forest. Pikachu held tight to his shoulder.

" _That was a little too close for comfort._ " The Electric type said.

But then, Ash saw a familiar pair of purple wings. "Hey, Serena!" He called to his fianceé with a lovestruck smile. Pikachu rolled his eyes playfully, seeing the smitten grin form on his Trainee's face.

Serena then saw Ash, stopped flying and casually hid behind a tree. Serena was considered the prettiest girl in the kingdom; with her short honey blonde hair to her shoulders, fair skin, and crystal blue eyes. She wore a casual pink dress with a red jacket over it, black stockings and tall brown boots. On her back was a pair of Vivillon wings with an Elegant pattern. Beside her was a Braixen with a red bow around the twig in her tail.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to getting ready for our wedding?" She asked.

"Aren't you?" Ash teasingly retorted back. He then saw the flowers in his hand. "Wait! I have something for you!"

"For me?" Serena asked as Ash flew down to her. "Well, you are just too sweet." But Ash then flew into the tree branches. Pikachu jumped off his Trainee and onto a different branch, adjacent to his. "Uh, Ash?" She asked. "You're up in the tree."

"I can't look at you right now!" He said, his blue wings poking out of the leaves. "It's considered bad luck."

Serena giggled. "Well, that's right." She said as Braixen went up to the tree to talk with Pikachu. "None of us are ready yet."

" _Serena_!" Braixen called her Trainee. She held up a withered twig that had fell out of Ash's hair.

" _Uh-oh._ " Pikachu whispered.

Serena examined the twig and then dropped it in fright. "Ash, did you try and go to the Shadow Forest again?" She asked.

"No!" Ash said, trying to convince her. But he felt the unconvinced look she was giving the branches he was hiding behind. "Maybe?" He said uncertainly.

Serena then began to fly over to him. "You could've been killed!" She exclaimed.

Ash maneuvered out of the way as he flew higher up the tree. "Whoa, remember, I can't look at you!"

But Serena was still following him. "Or worse, badly hurt or maimed!"

Ash then hid again. "Hey, I can take care of myself!" He called to her.

"You know that's no place for a prince!" She said as their chase began to get fun.

"Really?" Ash asked with a playful smirk. "Then how come princes are trained to do this?" He pulled out his sword and began slicing through some branches.

Serena giggled while rolling her eyes. "Yeah, who's the dashing knight in shining armor? You have a sword." She said teasingly.

Ash put his sword back on his hip. "Yeah. But, I don't really to fight." He then flew higher up to the treetop to look over at the Shadow Forest. "Because when I rule this kingdom, I'll go in there to see if they have really changed, so that we won't be so afraid anymore."

"That's so sweet." Serena said.

Ash continued. "And then, we can all go wherever we want; to have adventures everyday!" He then flew back down to the base of the tree, with Serena on the other side.

"You are my adventure." She said, making Ash blush slightly. "Right, Ash? My future king." She let out a hand to take one of his own.

Ash smiled as their hands touched. "My future queen."

"Queen." Serena whispered with a strange and twisted grin. "I'll be rich and powerful."

Pikachu and Braixen gave each other a confused glance. Was she hiding something?

"Wait, what?" Ash asked, thinking he heard her say something.

Serena froze for a second, then regained herself. "So, that I can help you with your duties, right, my love?"

Ash's smile returned as he held her hand a little bit tighter. But then, she slipped her hand out of his grip.

"Now, we both better get ready." She said. "Today is going to perfect." She then began to fly off. "Come on, Braixen!"

" _On my way, Serena!_ " Braixen called out to her Trainee. Before she began to follow her, Pikachu whispered in her ear.

" _Keep an eye on her. I have a feeling she's hiding something._ "

" _I will._ " She assured him before running off to catch up with her Trainee.

Pikachu looked over at his own Trainee and sighed with a shake of his head when he saw hearts materializing all around him and a dopey smile on his face. Talk about lovestruck.

"Hey, Ash!" A voice called out. But Ash was still too dazed. A slap on his arm finally snapped him out of it. "Ash!"

Ash turned around and, while rubbing his sore arm, saw his younger twin brother, Prince Ritchie, with three different colored Florges trailing behind him. These Florges were some of the Pokémon helpers around the castle. The first was red; nicknamed Rose, the second was blue; nicknamed Azalea, and the third was yellow; nicknamed Forsythia.

It was hard to believe that the two princes were twins. Ritchie had auburn hair combed down, dark blue eyes, and tan skin like Ash. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a blue tie. On his back was a pair of Vivillon wings in a Modern pattern. And on his shoulder was a Pikachu too, except the key difference between his and Ash's is that Ritchie's has a scruff of fur on the top of his head. Ritchie nicknamed him Sparky.

Ritchie began brushing the dirt of Ash's suit while the Florges removed the twigs from his hair. "Remember the wedding, bro?"

"I know, I know." Ash said as Pikachu hopped down from the tree and to his shoulder again.

Ritchie then saw the mushed up flowers in his brother's hand. "Uh, what is that?" He asked, pointing to them.

Ash flushed in embarrassment. "A corsage." He admitted. "Oh, man!" He suddenly exclaimed. "I forgot to give this to Serena."

"Uh, no offense dude, but you can't give her that." Ritchie said. "It... doesn't seem like it would do Serena justice."

"Yeah." Ash sighed. Rose then took the corsage.

" _We'll fix that, young master._ " She said.

"Thanks, Rose." Ash smiled at her. Rose beckoned to Azalea and Forsythia to follow her. The two princes then began flying back towards the castle with Pikachu and Sparky on their shoulders.

"Hey, Ritchie." Ash asked his brother. "Do you think that Serena really loves me?"

Ritchie raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Ash? She's your fianceé. That shows how much she loves you."

" _Yeah._ " Sparky agreed. " _Besides, how could she not?_ "

Pikachu patted Ash's head. " _Are you getting cold feet?_ " He asked.

Ash playfully scoffed. " _Of course not._ " He assured.

* * *

A few minutes later, the three Florges came to Ash's room with a beautiful corsage; having pink and white flowers. Ash examined it.

"It's perfect." He said.

" _You're welcome, young master._ " Azalea said.

"I better give this to her." Ash exclaimed as he flew out his bedroom window.

"Wait, Ash!" Ritchie called out. "Isn't bad luck if you see her before the wedding?" But his brother was already out of sight, along with Pikachu. He facepalmed. "Oh, just great."

" _He better get back soon._ " Forsythia said. " _The wedding starts in about 30 minutes._ "

* * *

Ash excitedly flew around the kingdom, looking for Serena.

" _Hey, Ash._ " Pikachu said, who was holding tight to his shoulder. " _Couldn't you wait until the wedding?_ "

"Nope." Ash answered, making Pikachu roll his eyes with a sigh.

Soon, they saw a Braixen and a familiar pair of Elegant patterned Vivillon wings. Ash was about to call out to her when he saw another pair of wings.

Ash's heart dropped like a stone when he saw Serena kissing another man. He suddenly felt like his wings were made of lead. Braixen was appalled at her Trainee's betrayal and was trying to snap sense into her, but she was not listening.

Pikachu snarled at the disgusting scene he was seeing, but he stopped when the heartbreak in Ash's eyes. His Trainee dropped the corsage and turned away from the scene, hearing what Serena was telling her secret lover.

"Once I marry Ash, the throne and the kingdom will be mine."

Braixen saw the prince from the corner of her eye and she became silent, realizing that it was too late.

Having enough of it, Pikachu leaped of his Trainee's shoulder. " _Taste this, you lying, sneaky, no-good cheater!_ " He then unleashed a Thunderbolt at Serena, zapping her good before landing back on his usual spot.

Serena looked up and barely made out a familiar pair of Marine patterned Vivillon wings flying away. She looked over at Braixen, who was giving her Trainee a displeased glare. Serena then knew that she had screwed up badly.

* * *

 **A/N: Yeah. I didn't like writing this last part, except the part where Pikachu zapped the cheater. If something like that happened to me, I would give them a piece of my mind, even though it would hurt.**

 **As for Ritchie, he and Ash do look a lot alike, and the two are very similar, including both having a Pikachu. So, I thought that being twins could work. They sometimes even act like brothers.**

 **Well, if you guys still want to read more, Chapter 4 will come soon. When exactly, I can't guarantee, since I'm not making any more promises about update dates. Please leave a review about what you think, but please be polite.**

 **Got to fly!**


	4. Vow for a Broken Heart

The Power of Love

 **A/N: *sing-songy* I'm back! *end sing-song tone* And with more of the story.**

 **But before we get started, I want to say something to twilight sparkle, who has been a great support for all of my stories. First of all, thanks for being so supportive. It really brightens up my day. Second, about your suggestion concerning this story. I had already said that I won't put any songs in this story. But, I maybe, just maybe, put up musical one-shots later in time that would include some of these songs.**

 **All right! Let's get on with Chapter 3! Roll it!**

 _Italics_ - **Pokémon speech**

Chapter 3

Vow for a Broken Heart

In his room, Ash was curled up on his bed, silently shedding tears. Pikachu was beside him, patting his arm to comfort him. Rose, Azalea, and Forsythia could only watch their heartbroken young master quietly cry.

A gentle knock on the door was then sounded. "Ash?" A familiar voice softly called out into the room. "Ash?" The prince in question turned to the door, which was now creaking open to reveal his twin brother and Sparky.

Ash slowly slid off his bed. "Hey, Ritchie." He said, wiping away a few tears.

"What happened?" Ritchie asked, seeing that his brother was crying.

The elder prince slowly walked over to the door. "I...I don't want to talk about it."

Ritchie raised an eyebrow. "Not even to me?" He asked. Ash tells him almost everything, so this was a little out of the norm.

Ash looked down at the floor. "Not now." He said. "Later. I promise."

The younger prince was still not sure, but decided not to pressure him. "Okay." He said. He was about to close the door, but stopped. "Is there anything I should do for you?"

Ash nodded. "Tell Mom... the wedding's off."

"The wedding's off?" Ritchie asked, not believing what he had just heard. Seeing that Ash was not in the mood to talk anymore, he quietly shut the door and went to tell their mother the news.

* * *

Once the announcement was made, Ritchie made his way back to Ash's room. His brother was still sulking on his bed. Sparky leaped off the younger prince's shoulder and went to talk with Pikachu.

Ritchie sat down beside Ash. "So, are you going to tell me what happened?" He asked.

Ash wiped away a couple of more stray tears and began to explain everything. "After I got the corsage, I went to find Serena, and I found her... with another man."

"WHAT?!" Ritchie shouted, and Ash quickly covered his brother's mouth with his hand to quiet him. When he did, he removed his hand and Ritchie continued speaking quietly. "She was cheating on you?"

Ash could only nod. Ritchie growled and punched his open palm with his fist. "Wait until I get my hands on her!" He softly hissed in anger. "I'll tear her wings off with my bare hands!"

The elder prince placed a hand on the younger one's shoulder. "I will deal with her later, that I promise."

Ritchie took a deep breath. "So, what are you doing to do now?" He asked.

Ash's face became grim. "If love only gives this kind of trouble and pain, then, what's the point of it?" He then stood up from the bed. "So, from now, I'll never fall in love again."

"Ash, that's crazy." Ritchie said, joining his brother standing up. "You can't exactly just not fall in love. It has a way of hitting you when you least expect it."

"I'm not saying that it's smart to not do this." Ash said. "But, I have to be strong, 'cause one day, I will rule this kingdom. I can't let this bring me down all the time."

Ritchie considered his brother's words, then sighed. "Well, as the saying goes: If you can't beat 'em, join them." Ash raised a curious eyebrow. "If you will never fall in love again, then I won't, either."

"Now you're the one that's sounding crazy." Ash said. "You know that a lot of girls will be wanting to have a chance with you."

Ritchie rolled his eyes. "I'm not letting you do this alone. I've never let you do anything alone ever since we were kids. I'm not about to change that."

Ash looked over at Pikachu and Sparky, who both gave him encouraging smiles. "Well, it seems we're in this together."

Ritchie smirked as he lightly punched Ash's shoulder. "As always."

The two brothers chuckled slightly. The three Florges then came up to them. " _Well, if you two young masters are going to be doing this, then it would seem that you will need to be properly dressed for that._ " Rose said.

Azalea floated around the two princes. " _We'll be right back._ " She said.

" _We'll come up with something_." Forsythia added as she and the other two left the room.

* * *

Soon enough, the three Florges came back with some street clothes. The two princes then quickly got out of their suits and into their new attires.

Ash got dressed into a black and white T-shirt with a yellow stripe, slightly baggy jeans, and black and red running shoes. His wings were popping out of the slits in the back of his shirt, his hands were clad in black biker gloves with red trim, and on his head, he wore a red and black cap with a blue Poké Ball insignia.

Ritchie now was dressed in a dark blue T-shirt under a sea green vest with gold trim, aqua green travel pants with some patches gold and a belt, and black running shoes. His wings were shown through the slits in the back, his hands had similar biker gloves on; except the trim was aqua green, and he wore a blue cap with a gold stripe horizontally across on his head.

"I like this!" Ash exclaimed.

"Me, too." Ritchie agreed, adjusting his cap. He then turned to Pikachu and Sparky. "What do you two think?"

" _You guys look great!_ " Pikachu said.

" _Gone with the perfect prince attitude_." Sparky added.

The two boys smiled and grabbed their swords. They then fastened them onto their right sides. Ritchie then remembered something.

"Uh, what is Mom going to say about this?" He asked.

Everyone else froze. They completely forgot about how to explain this to the Queen, Ash and Ritchie's mother. Then, Ash came up with something.

"I'll explain to her later." He said. "Right now, I'm up for a little sparring match. What do you say?"

Ritchie smirked at the challenge. "Oh, you're on, bro." He said. With that, the two princes left the room to have some friendly competition.

* * *

 **A/N: I decided to have Ritchie be more supportive towards his brother, and not be super love crazy as the character he is supposed to be representing. I mean, what is up with that? We may know girls that are boy-crazy, but Princess Dawn from the original movie is criminally insane about them. It's just ridiculous!**

 **Anyhow, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. I'll see you in Chapter 4! Please leave a review about what you guys think.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	5. Aggron Attack

The Power of Love

 **A/N: This was a pretty long chapter to get down. But, I hope you guys enjoy it, because it will relieve me of the stress I had been going through right now.**

 **Here we go, with Chapter 4! Roll it!**

 _Italics-_ **Pokémon speech**

Chapter 4

Aggron Attack

One morning, a few weeks after the incident, Ash woke up ready to start his patrol of the kingdom with Ritchie. Hopefully, though it was most unlikely it would happen, he will be so busy that he won't be able to attend the Spring Ball.

When he and Ritchie told their mother, the Queen, about what had really happened that day, she decided to find another girl suitable for Ash when he takes the throne, much to the twins' chagrin.

The Spring Ball was just one party held in honor of the season's equinox, and Ash knew his mom would make him attend, since he was the elder and the heir. Ritchie didn't want to go either, but Ash said that it was okay for him to do so.

Ash got dressed in his street clothes that the Florges made for him, strapped on his sword, and went into Ritchie's room, with a drowsy Pikachu wobbling behind him. He knocked on the door.

"Ritchie?" He asked. "Are you ready?" There was no answer. "Ritchie?" Ash pushed the door open and saw that his brother was nowhere in sight. Neither was Sparky.

Ash opened his wings, picked up Pikachu, placed him on his shoulder, and zoomed out the balcony window.

"Ritchie?" He called out, then groaned. "Ritchie? Where are you? Ritchie?"

* * *

A couple of minutes later, near the mountains, a female Trainee, hiding behind an enormous oak tree, watched the elder prince and his Pikachu scan the area, then fly off again with an annoyed groan. She had straw blonde hair tied in a crown high ponytail, brown eyes, and fair skin. She wore a bright blue tank top with a stylish brown leather vest, jeans, and black boots. On her back was a pair of Butterfree wings. On her right shoulder was a little female Snivy.

She then called out to the tree that was beside her own. "The coast is clear."

In her eyes, the following sight happened in slow motion. Ritchie carefully flew out of the trees, dressed in street clothes, with some leaves falling around him, while Sparky climbed down the trunk. He extended his arm to his scruffy-haired Pikachu, who hopped onto it and scurried over to his shoulder and nuzzled him, making him smile brightly.

The female Trainee softly smiled at the sight. Prince Ritchie was something else. He's handsome, loyal to his family and kingdom, has a kind soul, and... just amazing. She wished he could one day smile with the same love he shows to Pokémon at her.

Snivy saw her Trainee staring lovestruck at the oblivious prince as he gently scratched his Pikachu under the chin, making Sparky chirp with bliss. She rolled her eyes and a thin vine came from her shoulder and slapped her on the cheek, making her snap out of her smitten daze.

"Ow!" She exclaimed, holding her cheek. "Snivy!" She hissed, glaring at her cheeky Grass type.

Ritchie immediately swooped over to the Trainee, covering her mouth with one hand. "Chloe! Keep it down! He'll hear you!" He quickly scanned the area in search of his brother, but there was no one in sight. He then removed his hand.

Sparky jumped down from Ritchie's shoulder and next to Snivy. " _She was doing it again, wasn't she?_ " He asked quietly so that their Trainees don't hear them.

" _Yep_." Snivy answered quietly. " _I swear, if she doesn't do something about this soon, I'm going to tie her up and drag her to him._ "

" _Let's hope not._ " Sparky said.

The Trainee, now known as Chloe, rubbed her arm sheepishly while her cheeks had a soft pink blooming across. She hoped Ritchie was seeing it. Luckily, it seemed he didn't.

"I still can't believe that Serena was cheating on my brother!" He started ranting.

"Definitely." Chloe's blush disappeared as a scowl came on her face. She remembered when Ritchie told her about Serena's deception a couple of days ago. He made her swear not to tell another soul, since Ash has had enough pity from him, their mother, and their Pokémon companions and servants.

"Not that I don't blame him, but now, he's hovering, watching and worrying. Geez, talk about keeping your guard up." Ritchie continued.

"You sometimes do the same with him." Chloe pointed out.

Ritchie was about to deny it, but then realized her point. "Touché." He said.

Chloe then remembered something else. "Hey, Ritchie. Why do we care if your brother finds out about our meetings?" She asked.

The younger prince froze for a second. "Well... we don't." After seeing her unconvinced glare, he then sighed.

"Ash is just really going through a hard time. Also, he has become a little overprotective. So, I don't want to know what he thinks about his only twin brother hanging out with a girl when his ex broke his heart." After seeing a strange look in Chloe's eyes, he came closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not that I don't like hanging out with you, Chloe. I do. But I just don't want Ash to go through any more pain."

Chloe smiled. "I know. You really care about him."

Ritchie returned the grin as his hand traveled down to grasp hers.

Ever since they were kids, Chloe had been his best friend, next to Ash and Sparky. After all, there are some topics he couldn't really discuss with his older brother. And Chloe was always willing to listen to him and was very loyal to their friendship.

But recently, he had been getting some unidentified feelings when it comes to his childhood friend. She was obviously lovely, and her personality was just as beautiful. Still, whenever he gets close to her, he seems to get strange urges to pull her closer to him.

" _Hey, you two lovebirds!_ " Sparky yelled, finally snapping both of them out of their daze. Chloe turned an even brighter pink while Ritchie turned to glare at his Pokémon.

"Sparky!" He shouted angrily. "I've told you not to call us that!"

" _Sorry, but it seemed that the only thing that would get your attention._ " Sparky said. " _Anyway, we've got a problem!_ "

"Problem?" Chloe asked, her blush fading.

" _And a big one!_ " Snivy added.

Suddenly, a loud roar came from the mountain. The two Trainees then saw an angry Aggron come their way from out of a cave nearby. It roared again when it saw the two on its territory and began to chase them.

Chloe screamed as she quickly grabbed Snivy and began to fly off. Ritchie let Sparky scurry back onto his shoulder and drew out his sword, keeping up with Chloe.

"Help!" She cried, seeing that the Aggron was still following her and Ritchie.

The younger prince swiped his sword through the air, trying to keep the Aggron at bay. He signalled something to Sparky, who nodded. He nodded, leaped off his Trainee's shoulder, and fired a Thunderbolt to the sky.

Almost immediately, another Pikachu came flying in, an Iron Tail ready to strike.

" _Hey, rockhead!_ " He shouted. " _Think fast!_ "

He swung his metallic tail and struck the Aggron on his head.

Chloe stopped retreating and saw the other Pikachu jumping gracefully back onto the shoulder of Prince Ash.

"You called?" He asked playfully to Ritchie.

"Impeccable timing." Ritchie answered.

Ash smirked, then focused back to the problem ahead. The Aggron had recovered from the head strike Pikachu gave him. In response, it fired a Hyper Beam at them, but all three Trainees dodged quickly.

The Aggron began his pursuit again, still following Chloe. She flew left and right, trying really hard to shake him off, with the princes following close behind.

"Hang on, Chloe!" Ritchie called out to her.

Ash quickly looked around and saw a tangle of vines near the border. An idea then popped into his head.

"Chloe!" He shouted to her. "Head over there!" He pointed over to the vines. Chloe saw them and began to flap over there, the Aggron still hot on her tail. Ash zoomed ahead and began to pull the vines.

"Get ready to duck!" He shouted to her. He tried to hold the vines back until the moment, but it was hard work. "Ritchie, a hand over here!" He called to his brother.

Ritchie zipped over and helped Ash hold the vines back until Chloe flew past them. The princes then released the large tangle, and it tied themselves around the Aggron. However, they didn't notice that in his confusion, Aggron waved his claw, barely missing Chloe, but the force sent her over the border.

The Aggron finally got himself untangled from the vines and growled at the princes. But both drew out their swords pointing the blades at him, and their wings began glowing bright. The light was too much for Aggron, and it retreated back to the mountains.

Ash sighed with relief as he turned to Ritchie while sheathing their swords. "What happened?" He asked. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

Ritchie looked down at the forest floor below him. "Sorry." He said.

Sparky then spoke up from his shoulder. " _He was meeting up with Chloe._ " The scruffy-haired Pikachu was silenced by another glare from his Trainee.

Ash and Pikachu were confused. "Why didn't you tell me about it? If I had known, I would've just done patrol by myself." Once he saw the sad glance in his brother's blue eyes, he understood why.

He placed a hand on Ritchie's empty shoulder. "Hey, just because I made that promise doesn't mean you can keep secrets from me. She's your friend. Don't give up on things you want because of me."

Ritchie looked back up at his brother. "So, you're not mad?" He asked. Ash shook his head with a smile, and Ritchie returned it.

" _Hey, guys._ " Pikachu piped in. " _Where is Chloe?_ " He asked.

The two princes then realized what happened. Ash zipped over to the border, where Chloe was catching her breath. He grabbed her arm and pulled back across.

"You were in the Shadow Forest!" He shouted at her.

"I was?" She asked. She probably didn't notice her surroundings because of the fright she had.

"Anyway, glad to see that you're okay." Ritchie said, coming over to them. "Let's get going."

As he and Chloe began to fly away from the border, he saw that Ash was still lingering back at the dark border, where the ground between their land and the dark forests was littered with the blue forget-me-nots. He flew back over to him.

"Hey, Ash." He slightly tugged his arm. "Come on." He knew of his brother's intense growing curiosity of the forbidden land. But as much as he himself was against the no crossing over law, now was not the time to dwell on the thought.

Ash took one last glance over at the ominous Shadow Forest, before joining his brother in flight.

* * *

 **A/N: Told y'all. This was long, for putting it on a tablet. Well, I hope this was worth it.**

 **I have a lot of school stuff I need to pay more attention to, so updates on any story of mine will be longer than usual. So, I guess that means even slower on slow updates. Great. *places head on desk***

 ***gets back up* Well, I guess I'll see you guys in Chapter 5. Please leave a review about what you think.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	6. A Failed Attempt

The Power of Love

 **A/N: Finally, another update! Sorry it has taken so long, and this is a scene that I was looking forward to writing. But, it was so hard to write it down because there was no music in this scene.**

 **Anyway, let's get on with Chapter 5! Roll it!**

 _Italics-_ **Pokémon speech**

Chapter 5

A Failed Attempt

Ash and Ritchie glided along the river as they flew back to the palace. The elder prince couldn't help but notice that there was a familiar dopey smile on his brother's face as he flipped around in the air, with Sparky hanging onto his shoulder. Though he had a feeling why he was acting like this, since he once had the same dopey smile on his own face all the time, this was not a good time to be questioning about it.

"What's with you?" He asked, faking confusion. "You pretty much had a near death experience."

That seemed to knock Ritchie out of his daze. "Um, what were you asking me?"

Pikachu and Sparky slapped their foreheads with their paws, while Ash groaned. "You and Chloe were nearly killed!"

Ritchie just shrugged it off. "Relax. We're both fine, thanks to you."

Ash rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway. However, the smile didn't last long. "But, we still have to survive the Spring Ball tonight."

Ritchie groaned. "Hey, I hate it as much as you do, but you know that Mom doesn't want to have to force us to come like last year."

"Yeah, I know." Ash said.

" _On the bright side, at least she won't be making you two dress up fancy this year._ " Pikachu piped up.

" _And we'll both be with you._ " Sparky added.

The twin princes grinned slightly and petted their Electric type companions on the head as their castle came into view.

* * *

A couple of hours later, the Spring Ball was in full swing. Ritchie was already there, just sticking close to the refreshments, sipping a glass of punch. Sparky was sitting on the table, nibbling on a cookie. They both stopped when they saw a familiar pair of Butterfree wings with a Snivy. Ritchie left his glass there and zipped over to his friend. Sparky rolled his eyes with a smile and joined him.

Meanwhile, Ash had just entered into the ballroom alongside his mother, Queen Delia. The queen was a lovely lady with brown hair into a ponytail, fair skin, and chocolate brown eyes. She wore a simple white dress with matching shoes, her crown was on her head, and on her back was a pair of Meadow Pattern Vivillon wings. Beside her was a Mr. Mime, wearing a fancy small black bowtie.

Delia noticed her elder son's unenthusiam. "Smile, honey." She said.

Ash sighed, and put on a cheesy big grin. Pikachu almost burst out laughing at his Trainee's expression.

"A real smile." Delia clarified.

"This is one of my better ones." Ash said through his teeth before lessening his grin to a smaller one.

"You and Ritchie used to love the Spring Ball." Delia reminded.

"Mom, we're both too old for this." Ash whispered. "We're both 18."

"I just want to see the happy Ash I used to know." Delia explained. "Before the, um, the Serena incident."

Ash's fake smile vanished when he remembered that day. "I am happy, Mom." He said to her, putting on another grin, but as quickly as it came, it faded just as fast. "I really am."

Delia looked over at him, noticing that he was still insecure about this. She still remembered that day when Ritchie came to her and told her that the wedding was off. She was surprised to know that her son had changed his mind, but then soon learned that he had a good reason to do that. How could he marry a woman who wasn't faithful to him?

The queen placed a hand on Ash's free shoulder. "Well, I hope that you're happy enough to dance with your mother, at least." The elder prince gave her a small smile.

"Or maybe with someone even better." A familiar voice said. Ash looked over at where it came from. There she was, the cheater herself, dressed in a small pink gown, with her Braixen beside her, not too confident with what her Trainee is planning.

"What the?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise. Pikachu immediately got into a defensive stance and began generating sparks from his cheeks.

From a different side of the room, Ritchie and Chloe were seeing the same thing. "What is she doing here?" The younger prince asked, glaring the sharpest daggers at the Trainee who broke his brother's heart. Chloe only shrugged, while Sparky looked ready to attack as well.

"Hi, Ash." Serena said, trying to act sweet and seductive. "Been a while."

"Serena?!" Ash said in disbelief.

" _Oh, brother_." Pikachu growled, tensing up a little more.

"I just wanted to apologize for what happened." Serena said, trying to sound genuine. Braixen rolled her eyes at her Trainee's antics.

"Oh, it's too little, too late for that." Ash said, crossing his arms.

"Come on, Ash." Serena pleaded. "Try to understand."

"Never!" Ash refused, turning further away from her.

"Oh, I know you can." Serena said, giving him a flirtatious smile.

"Ha!" Ash scoffed. "No, I can't." He then went over to her, staying a couple of feet away from her reach. "You cheated on me, remember?"

"Well, you left me at the altar." Serena retorted back, to which Ash responded with a roll of his eyes.

"And why did I? Because how can I be with someone who had been lying to me all that time?"

"I'm sorry for that. I really am." Serena said, pretending to be apologetic and guilty.

Ash only glared at her, not impressed or sympathetic. Braixen shied away from the scene as Serena came closer to him, running her hand down his chest.

"How about a dance, for old time's sake?" She asked seductively.

Ash's answer was a growl as he zipped up into the air, getting away from her. Serena looked up to where he flew.

"Come on, Ash." She tried again. "My future king." She said, bringing up the old name of endearment.

The elder prince groaned for the third time. "I'm not your anything!" He proclaimed, putting his hands on his waist.

"Hey, it was just one little mistake." Serena said, trying to make this situation lighter. But, it only got worse.

"Little?!" Ash repeated. Pikachu finally had it and he jumped off Ash's shoulder, firing a Thunderbolt at her feet.

" _You call the mistake of cheating on my Trainee and best friend, your ex-fiancé, little?!_ " The Electric type demanded once he landed back on Ash's shoulder. The elder prince then landed back on the ballroom floor.

"You got a lot of nerve showing your face in here." He said, getting closer to her, glaring fiercely at her. Serena, nervous that this was not going according to plan, backed away as they began leaving the ballroom. Ritchie began following him, eager to see what will happen.

"You really thought that after what you did, you'd expect me to come right back to you once you apologized?" Ash asked. "Well, here's my answer to you: There's no way in any dimension that I will ever forgive you for that!"

Ash's wings began to glow bright blue, and Serena felt herself being lifted off the ground without the use of her wings. The doors then flew open behind her.

"So, what are you trying to say exactly?" Serena asked.

"I think it's time that you leave!" Ash shouted before she was thrown out of the ballroom, the doors slamming shut on one of her wings.

"Good riddance." The elder prince said, the glow from his wings dying.

" _You said it._ " Pikachu agreed.

"But, that was fun." Ash said, turning around and then seeing his mother looking at him, disappointed, while his brother was trying to contain his bubbling laughter. He sighed and went past them to head back into the ballroom.

* * *

 **A/N: Nice try, Serena. But, I think I did okay without using the song that was meant for this scene, though it was so freaking hard. I did say that there will be no songs in this story, though.**

 **Well, the next couple of chapters will take a longer while because they're scenes that I'm not too familiar with. So, all I can say is that you all just wait.**

 **I'll see y'all in Chapter 6, then! Please leave a review about what you think.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	7. Manipulation

The Power of Love

 ** **A/N: Sorry this took a while. But, this is more of a short filler chapter. Some real excitement will happen next time.****

 ** **Well, let's just get on with Chapter 6! Roll it!****

 _Italics-_ **Pokémon speech.**

Chapter 6

Manipulation

Serena gently tugged on her wing that was stuck in between the two doors that Ash had slammed closed on. Finally, she had pulled it free, and it was unscathed, much to to her relief. After all, a wingless Trainee is a dead Trainee. But, then the door was slammed open and into her face. A laughing Braixen then came out.

 _"Man! Ash slammed her pretty good!"_ Braixen giggled loudly, putting her paws over her mouth to keep a bit quiet. _"Well, so much for being queen."_

Serena loudly slammed the door closed, making herself known to her Pokémon companion. The Fire type's laughter immediately died at being caught by her Trainee.

"You think I can't be queen?" She asked, firmly banging her fist against the door. "I've been planning this for ten years, since my father had told me about getting everything you want, and then was taken from me. And, I'm not going to end what he had started."

Braixen shuddered visibly. She remembered Serena's father, Lord Giovanni. She had overheard from Serena's rantings at night that he had wanted his family on the throne for a long time. He had intended to marry Queen Delia, who back then was just a princess. But instead, she had fell in love with a local Trainee boy from the village. They soon married, then had the twin princes. Sadly, after Ash and Ritchie turned eight years old, the king, their father, had died from an unknown illness.

Giovanni then had tried something else, since he had already attempted to persuade the widowed queen that the kingdom needs a king, but failed when she refused to remarry and decided to make sure that Ash was ready to accept the throne when he comes of age, since he is the elder twin. He then decided to prim up Serena into a most lovely and proper lady, along with a few secret skills, so that she would one day Ash's future queen.

At first, Serena didn't understand, but she did want to be Ash's future queen because she had a huge crush on him for a while. But then, after her father died while in a minor skirmish with the outlaws in the Shadow Forest, her innocence vanished. Also, her jealousy was another component; for the prince was mostly hanging out with another girl who also shared hidden affection for him, and a pretty one at that. She found a vial of the forbidden memory loss potion and used it to wipe the memories of Ash and the girl from each other.

After the girl and her family was banished to the Shadow Forest, taking the blame for the memory loss potion, Serena pretended to be a comforting friend to Ash, who was confused yet sad that the girl was banished. Apparently, one can truly never forget about someone special entirely.

 _"Still though, Serena."_ Braixen shuddered at the sight of her angry Trainee. _"Now that you had really screwed this one up, the only way you can marry Ash is if you used a love potion on him."_

Serena hissed through her teeth. "Just leave me." She said, trying to keep the little composure that she had. "Go and have some fun."

Braixen didn't argue as she quickly went back through the ballroom doors. Serena tried taking some deep breaths.

"Think happy thoughts." She quietly chanted to herself. Braixen did have a point. Ash didn't seem willing to forgive her, and or want her back. So, she needed a new plan.

Suddenly, she was knocked down to the floor by the door slamming open. As she regained her bearings and was about to yell at whoever opened the door, she stopped.

It was Chloe, and she seemed to be hiding. Serena quietly crept closer to her and saw that she seemed like she was smitten. Serena followed her gaze and saw that she was staring at Prince Ritchie, who was over at the buffet table and then flew up towards the balcony, where Ash was waiting. A smirk came on her face as a plan came into her head.

"You okay?" She asked Chloe innocently, snapping her out of her lovestruck daze and immediately slammed the doors closed.

"Who, me?" She asked, pretending to be clueless. "Am I okay? Yes, I am!" Her false confident deamnour then dropped. "No." She sighed.

 _ _Young unrequited love. How sweet.__ Serena thought with false sweetness. "Hey, Chloe, right?" She asked. The other Trainee girl nodded. "I know just how you feel." She said.

"Yeah." Chloe said. "Ash slammed you pretty good, though." She commented.

Serena scowled a bit. But then, she began fake sobbing.

"He was right, though." She said, sitting down on the steps. Chloe was confused and decided to sit down next to her. "I was such a liar. A cheat! He'll never forgive me!"

Chloe wasn't so sure on how to feel. She knew that Serena cheated on Ash because she never really loved him. And Ritchie had told her what he had learned from his brother, who had seen and heard everything. But, she sounded like she was actually feeling regretful of her sin.

"Well, I do know what it's like to 'love' someone and not them return your feelings." She eventually said. Well, in Serena's case, she doesn't really care about Ash, but for her, Chloe would do anything to let Ritchie know how she feels about him.

"If only there was a way to let both of them know how we really feel." Serena said, knowing that she almost had Chloe where she wanted her.

"Yeah." Chloe agreed with a heavy sigh.

"Something like a love potion, maybe." Serena suggested.

"Like a love potion!" Chloe realized.

"Great idea!" Serena said, placing her hand on Chloe's shoulder.

"It is a great idea." Chloe agreed. "Except only Diancie can make the potion. She's locked away in the Shadow Forest, and no one ever goes into the Shadow Forest!"

"But I know you can." Serena assured her.

"Why can't you?" Chloe asked suspiciously.

"You know that I am a lady of noble birth." Serena explained. "You know that those ruffians will do to someone like me."

"And why is it better for me to go there?" Chloe still questioned.

"You know how to handle yourself." Serena said. "You're good with your Pokémon, and you know how to use a weapon. I don't."

"I guess that's true." Chloe admitted.

"How about this?" Serena suggested. "You get the potion, and I'll help you with Prince Ritchie."

"Why are you so set on helping me with Ritchie?" Chloe asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I had lost my chance of having true love. The least I can do to make up for it is to help someone else with their love life." Serena fibbed.

Chloe thought about it for a few moments. As much as she knew that she shouldn't even be listening to Serena, what she is offering is really tempting. Ritchie hasn't shown any signs that he likes her any more than a friend. And if Ash isn't willing to comply to the Queen's wishes that he finds another before he becomes king, then she might start to pressure Ritchie into marriage. And he is just as attractive as his brother, so he would most likely gather quite a few admirers. Her chances with him might grow even slimmer if that happens.

"Okay." She eventually complied. "But if I see any funny business from you, the deal's off."

"Got it." Serena shook on it with Chloe, smirking inwardly.

* * *

 ** **A/N: Okay, so some background info was revealed. And Serena had tricked Chloe into getting a love potion to use on Ritchie. What will happen next?****

 ** **We'll find out in Chapter 7! Until then, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think.****

 ** **Got to fly! ;)****


	8. Into the Shadow Forest

The Power of Love

 **A/N: Hey! I finished this chapter just in time for Valentine's Day tomorrow. But, sorry for not updating this in a while. I lost the movie, and I don't know when it will come back. Hopefully, I remember enough of it for most of the story.**

 **Anyway, let's get on with Chapter 7! Roll it!**

 _Italics-_ **Pokémon speech**

Chapter 7

Into the Shadow Forest

Early the next day, Chloe was up and awake, stuffed a small jar in a small satchel over her shoulder, and a drowsy Snivy draped around her shoulders. She then began flying towards the border of the Shadow Forest.

" _Chloe, are you sure this is a good idea?_ " Snivy asked, while yawning. " _This is Serena we're talking about here._ "

"I know." Chloe assured the little Grass type. "I still don't trust Serena, but I need to get the love potion from Diancie."

" _Want or need?_ " Snivy raised a brow.

Chloe glared at her. "Whatever." She scoffed. "But, I won't let Serena have the potion. It's obvious that she would use it on Ash so that he can be in love with her again. Once I use the potion on Ritchie, I'll quickly get rid of it before Serena gets her hands on it."

Soon, the gloomy border became more visible. "All right." Chloe said her Pokémon companion. "We just need one forget-me-not and then, we'll be on our- what?!"

Chloe screeched to a stop in mid-air at the sad sight in front of her and Snivy. The ground of the border between the kingdom and the forest was bare, with many stems cut.

" _Oh, no._ " Snivy breathed.

"Man, those Ghost and Dark types work fast." Chloe commented. "Snivy, scan all over the ground." She said. "Let's hope they missed one, or at least a petal."

Snivy nodded and leaped off her Trainee's shoulders. She then began zipping through the barren grass, searching for any sign of blue flowers.

A few seconds later, she wrapped a thin vine around Chloe's arm, pulling herself back up to her Trainee's shoulders. In one of her claws, there was a single soft blue petal.

" _This is all I can find._ " Snivy said. " _Thank goodness that this time, they managed to miss a spot._ "

Chloe took the jar from inside her satchel. She unscrewed the top, and Snivy dropped the petal in it. "This will have to do." She said as she twisted the lid tight until it was shut. "Hopefully, it will be enough."

After placing the jar back in her satchel, Chloe glanced over at the mists and darkness of the Shadow Forest. Was she really about to do this? She understood that Ash always felt drawn to the forbidden land, but she never thought she would even be this close to the border of the forest, other than the incident earlier.

However, if she didn't do this, then she would never have a chance with Ritchie. If Ash still refuses to find a wife before he becomes king, Delia would then probably put the maritial pressure on Ritchie. And who's to say that he would even consider her? He maybe only sees her as just a friend, and there are a lot of other girls that would have their eye on the younger prince.

Chloe took a big and deep breath, and flew the meter across the border. Even as she had just crossed the border, she felt a sharp coldness hit her bare arms. And it felt like it got significantly darker, even though the sun was still high up in the sky.

"Okay." She breathed quietly. "Hang on tight, Snivy." She said to her Grass type.

The snake-like Pokémon nodded her head, and slightly wrapped herself tighter around Chloe's shoulders. Chloe then began flying through the large briars and bare trees of the forbidden Shadow Forest. However, unbeknownst to her, a line of Foongus saw her flying cautiously around.

* * *

In the large manor that served as her home, Dawn was pacing the floor of the main foyer, waiting for any news of the forget-me-nots. Her fists clenched tighter at the thought of those cursed flowers.

" _Dawn!_ " Piplup and Ambipom entered the room. The rebel Trainee turned to her two Pokémon. " _We have news from the Foongus spies._ "

"Is it about the forget-me-nots?" Dawn asked with a scowl.

" _Uh, no._ " Ambipom said hesitantly. She then gently nudged Piplup with one of her twin tails. " _Well?_ "

Piplup gulped nervously. " _A female Kanto Trainee is in the Shadow Forest._ "

"What?!" Dawn shouted. She then took her sword, holding the handle tight. No one had ever dared to enter her domain.

"Well, if she is looking for trouble, then she has come to the right place." She said ominously, making the two Pokémon gulp in fear.

"Quilava!" Dawn called. The Volcano Pokémon entered the room. He had thick ashes smeared over his dark teal and yellow fur.

" _Yes, mistress?_ " He asked. He seemed like the only Pokémon that wasn't afraid of Dawn.

"Take Piplup and Ambipom with you and scour the east side of the forest." Dawn ordered. "I'll take the west side. If you find the Trainee, take her. If she struggles, you know what to do."

With that ominous threat hanging in the air, Dawn took off into the air. The three Pokémon shuddered, but then began to obey their Trainee's orders.

* * *

Back with Chloe and Snivy, the two were searching high and low for any sign of where Diancie could be.

"Okay." Chloe shuddered, seeing all of the creepy Bug types that were thankfully asleep right then. "Now I see one reason why we're forbidden to cross into the forest."

Snivy nodded, while wrapping herself tighter against her Trainee's neck, but still letting her breathe normally. " _The only Pokémon that live here naturally are Ghost, Dark, Poison, and some Bug types._ " She said.

" _Lost?_ " A young male voice asked.

Chloe yelped and hid against a tree, folding her wings. Cautiously, she and Snivy looked to where the voice came from. It was a Purrloin.

" _Huh. A Kanto Trainee here in the Shadow Forest?_ " The Purrloin said, his green cat eyes gleaming with mirth. " _That's new._ "

Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. She then walked out of her hiding spot. "Well, I'm glad it was just you and not a Shadow Trainee." She said. "Unless you are one of their Pokémon."

Purrloin shook his head, his tail twitching. " _Nope._ " He answered. " _I belong to no one._ " Chloe slightly smiled, while Snivy was eyeing the Dark type suspiciously. " _But, I think by now, the Shadow Lady knows you're here, and she won't stop until she has your wings on display._ "

"The Shadow Lady?" Chloe asked.

" _The so-called mistress of the Shadow Forest._ " Purrloin explained. " _When she, her family, and their Pokémon were banished here, she rallied all of the other Trainees and the Pokémon that were sent here or lived here and declared herself their leader._ "

Chloe shuddered. Whoever this Shadow Lady is, she definitely doesn't want to come face to face with her. But, she shook her head.

"Shadow Lady or not, me and Snivy are here for a reason." She said, beginning to walk away from Purrloin. "We need to find Diancie."

" _Diancie?_ " Purrloin asked. He then scampered back up to Chloe. " _If you're here looking for Diancie, then I can help._ "

"You know where she is?" Chloe asked, smiling brightly.

Purrloin nodded. " _She's being held in the dungeon over at the Shadow Lady's manor._ " He said.

" _Oh, great._ " Snivy deadpanned. " _You were just telling us to avoid this Shadow Lady, and now we're going to have to break into her place?_ "

Purrloin climbed onto Chloe's spare shoulder and moved his tail under the Grass type's chin, making her look at him a little uncomfortable. " _Relax, sweetheart._ " He said coyly, making Snivy roll her eyes and swat his tail away from under her chin. " _I do happen to know a secret way inside._ "

"You do?" Chloe asked.

The Dark type nodded again at the Trainee. " _Just follow me, stay close, and don't get caught._ " He said before he jumped off her shoulder and started towards the east.

" _Are you sure we can trust him?_ " Snivy asked her Trainee.

" _You ladies coming or what?_ " Purrloin asked from ahead of the two, heading into a thick fog bank.

Chloe shrugged. "What choice do we have?" She asked rhetorically before she began to follow Purrloin into the fog bank.

* * *

 **A/N: What do you think? Not too bad, right? I think the next few chapters will be easier to write since I know what happens in the original movie.**

 **Well, I'll see y'all in Chapter 8! When that might come, I don't know, so all I ask is that you all just be patient. Please leave a review about what you guys think.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	9. Mother and Son Conversation

The Power of Love

 **A/N: Yeah, I know. This is more of a short little filler chapter, but this was just so easy to write. So, let's get on wth Chapter 8! Roll it!**

 _Italics-_ **Pokémon speech**

Chapter 8

Mother and Son Conversation

Meanwhile, Ash was in the training arena of the castle, wearing a dark blue blindfold over his eyes. He held his sword tight in his hands, listening intently. Though he couldn't see anything, he was still keeping his guard up.

All Trainees were born with a very unique ability to him, other than the usual psychic powers that comes from their wings, which they guard with their life of course. For Ash, he was almost as in tune with Aura as a Lucario. That ability comes in real handy when he was training or in an actual fight.

A loud swoosh caught his attention as he sensed that movement in the Aura around him. He immediately moved over to the right, and his sword sliced through a pearl pink orb of energy.

Rose applauded him after she had released her Moonblast attack. " _Good job, young master._ " She said.

Ash grinned at the red Florges, even though he couldn't really see her. But then, he turned over to the left, cutting through another Moonblast. " _Nice work._ " Azalea complimented him.

Ash then whirled behind him, and this time, sent the Moonblast back towards Forsythia, who had barely dodged it in time.

" _Hey!_ " She shouted, making Ash and the other two Florges laugh. Then, all three of the Florges began doing rapid fire with their Moonblast attacks. But Ash was still managing to nimbly dodge them all, even when he got up in the air.

"Ash!" A familiar voice called out. It was his mother.

"Kind of busy right now." Ash called back down, kind of not wanting to hear what his mother might say this time.

Forsythia fired her fifth Moonblast, and Ash just barely dodged it. "Whoa!" He exclaimed, sensing it. "Okay, I might deserved that one, Forsythia." He said. The yellow Florges laughed lightly.

Delia flew up, while the Florges paused in their attacks. Sensing his mother's Aura, Ash put his sword down, but not away in its sheath.

"The Village Spring Festival is starting soon." Delia said.

Ash rolled his eyes before he removed one flap of his blindfold. "After the ball yesterday?" He questioned. "Are you kidding me?" He nodded his head to the three Florges, then putting the blindfold back on over his eyes fully. The Florges resumed their attacks, forcing Delia to come back to the floor.

"Ash." Delia chided. But Ash was still focusing on his training. So, the queen decided to take a different approach. "You're a... unique young man."

Ash sighed heavily, once again rolling his eyes from behind his blindfold. He resumed slicing the Moonblast attacks, while throwing in some complex maneuvers with the weapon. He knew what his mother is trying to do.

"And Serena might have a few flaws." Delia continued.

Ash scoffed while twirling his sword over his shoulders to his other hand. "Understatement." He said, while switching back to his right dominant hand.

"But, she still loves you." Delia said.

Ash couldn't disagree more. "She loves the crown." He corrected, while swinging his sword through Moonblast attacks. He knows what he had heard that day. Delia tried to get another word in, but Ash kept cutting her off. "And her hair." He continued. "Not that order, though."

Delia huffed in desperation. "Okay, if not Serena, then there has to be someone else." She said to her elder son.

"No, there doesn't." Ash countered.

"Maybe if you got out more often." Delia suggested.

"Let it go, Mom!" Ash said, pleading with her to end the conversation. He had made up his mind, and there will be nothing anyone could do to change it.

Delia finally decided to try and put her foot down. "You'll be a stronger ruler with a queen by your side."

Ash cut through one last Moonblast attack before he put his own opinion down. "I'm stronger alone." He said.

Delia sighed heavily. "I don't want you to be alone." She said. She really wished that her son can give love a second chance. Just because his heart was broken once didn't mean that he should give up on it completely. Everybody deserves to be loved.

Ash removed his blindfold and tossed it on the ground. He knows his mother means well, and that she loves him. Yet, as much as he knows that she wants to see him ready and happy when he takes the throne, it was also getting tedious. So, he might as well promise her something that can ease her worries a little bit.

The elder prince put his sword away back in its sheath on his left hip. He then began flying down to his mother. "Mom, I promise," He began, "if I find a girl out there who can take my hand, look me in the eye, and I don't want to throw her out," Ash almost laughed aloud at his mother's defeated and unamused expression, "I'll consider it. But, that girl doesn't exist."

Delia slightly huffed in defeat. "Well, at least go to the festival with your brother to help me keep an eye on things." She said. "You both can act as patrols if you don't feel like participating."

Ash groaned. He hated it when his mom makes a point, trying to appeal to him. "Fine!" He conceded.

Delia patted her elder son's shoulder. "That's my boy." She said, before she pulled Ash into a hug. Ash stiffened for a second, then he melted into the embrace. The last thing he really wanted was to let his family down. So, maybe it couldn't hurt to at least patrol the festival. And, Ritchie would have his back. Maybe things might not be so bad this time.

* * *

 **A/N: I thought this scene was not only easy to write, but funny. In the movie, I thought this scene between Marianne and her father was touching yet funny.**

 **Anyway, I hoped y'all enjoyed this short filler chapter. The next chapter, we'll check back with Chloe and her quest. Please leave a review about what you think.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	10. Meeting Diancie

The Power of Love

 **A/N: Okay, this chapter was a little harder to write, more because of the beginning, but I think I got it down.**

 **Let's get on with Chapter 9! Roll it!**

 _Italics-_ **Pokémon** **speech**

Chapter 9

Meeting Diancie

Back in the Shadow Forest, Chloe was scaling across a narrow ledge of a cliff. She could've flown, but she didn't want to risk her getting caught.

Snivy was hanging on tight to her Trainee's shoulders, while Purrloin was leading them. " _This way._ " He whispered.

Chloe continued following the cat Dark type across the ledge. Then, they soon saw that they were approaching the underside of a large and shadowy manor. Chloe knew right then that was the manor of the Shadow Lady.

Just then, a dark figure zoomed above them, making Chloe and the two Pokémon press themselves against the ledge, blending in the shadows. Chloe then saw that her wings were a light gray, easy to be spotted. She quickly changed her wings into a darker gray.

"Did you see any sign of the trespasser?" A harsh feminine voice asked.

" _Nothing yet._ " Another voice answered, this one masculine, but not quite as gruff.

"If you see her, clip her wings." The female voice ordered before she took off again. Chloe felt her breath get stuck in her throat.

"Is she always that scary?" She whispered to Purrloin.

Purrloin nodded, his charming demeanor breaking slightly to show that he was nervous about the Shadow Lady like anyone else. " _Pretty much._ " He said before he started down the ledge again. Chloe followed him, careful of her steps and keeping her wings darkened.

" _How did you do that, though?_ " Purrloin asked her. " _How did you change the color of your wings?_ "

"It's my special ability." Chloe explained. "Other than the common psychic powers of Trainees. I can camouflage my wings into whatever their surroundings are."

" _Cool._ " Purrloin said. Then, he stopped. " _Hope you're ready, sweetheart. We're here._ "

Chloe saw that there was a small opening in the dirt wall. There was a small breeze and a faint pink light coming through it.

" _Go through here, and it will lead you directly to the cell where Diancie is being held._ " Purrloin instructed.

"Thanks." Chloe said. She then took Snivy off her shoulders and placed her on the ground. "You go on ahead. I'll watch your back."

Snivy shrugged, not too sure about this plan. " _Whatever you say._ " She said, and began to walk through the crack.

Before Chloe began to follow her Pokémon, she turned to Purrloin, who was waiting near the opening. "Are you coming, Purrloin?" She asked.

The Dark type shook his head. " _Nope. She's a Fairy type, so she'll easily pummel me into the ground if she sees a Pokémon that is at a disadvantage._ "

"Fair enough." Chloe said. Then, she started to follow Snivy into the opening.

" _Good luck, you two._ " Purrloin called after them before he bounded away, a sly grin forming on his muzzle.

* * *

The crack started to get a little tighter, but Chloe managed to squeeze herself through it until she popped into an empty and dark room, Snivy waiting for her on the other side. The Grass type jumped back onto her Trainee's shoulder.

Chloe looked around the empty room, wondering if there was a secret lock or something. Just then, a dim pink light appeared, slightly lighting up the room. Chloe and Snivy saw that the light was coming from another room underneath a hatch.

The female Trainee carefully opened the hatch and hopped down through it, landing on her feet. There, the light was coming from a single cell with a Barrier around it. Chloe then took the satchel in front of her, just in case.

"Hello?" She quietly called out. Then, she peered into the cell, the light dwindling down a bit for Chloe to see a bit clearer. Inside was the Mythical Pokémon Diancie. Her humanoid body was attached to a large rock with pink crystals embedded in it, and her head held a large pink diamond, like a tiara. Her face was blank and stoic, like she wasn't acknowledging the guests in front of her.

Chloe took out the single forget-me-not petal and waved in front of Diancie. "Is anyone home?" She asked.

Diancie seemed to snap out of her daze and screamed in fright, making Chloe and Snivy slightly scream as well, but not loud enough to alert their presence.

" _A-a forget-me-not?_ " Diancie asked, trembling with slight fear.

"It is!" Chloe confirmed. "I brought it for you to-"

" _Please, don't even finish that sentence!_ " Diancie pleaded. " _Besides, I won't do it._ "

Chloe felt her heart starting to sink. Did she came all this way for nothing? "Why?" She asked. "Why won't you make the love potion?"

" _Because that's how I got trapped in here!_ " Diancie yelled angrily.

Chloe pressed a finger to her lips, shushing her before she could alert the guards. "Just hear me out. My name is Chloe, and this is Snivy." She introduced.

" _Hello._ " Snivy said with a wave.

But Diancie was beginning a rant. " _That Shadow Lady won't listen to me about what happened on that fateful day, and I've been locked away for so long._ "

"'That fateful day'?" Chloe asked.

Diancie turned back to the female Trainee. " _Were you listening to me?_ " She asked. Chloe hesitantly nodded, hoping she wouldn't get in trouble for listening to something she probably shouldn't have heard. But to her relief, the Fairy type was smiling widely at her. " _Since you were listening, I'll do it._ "

"Yes!" Chloe quietly cheered.

" _If..._ " Diancie added, " _You promise to set me free._ "

Chloe raised an eyebrow. She barely got herself and Snivy into the Shadow Forest without getting caught so far. But if she took Diancie with her, it would be harder to sneak back to the Kanto Kingdom with all three of them. Not to mention, the Shadow Lady would eventually find out that Diancie broke out, and would most likely even dare to cross the border just to get back her prisoner.

" _Shake on it?_ " Diancie asked, stretching out her hand from inside her cell.

"Uh..." Chloe looked over at Snivy, who only shrugged. They've come this far. There was no turning back now. With a sigh, Chloe shook Diancie's hand.

" _It seems we have a deal, then._ " Diancie said. " _Now, petal please._ "

Chloe slipped the light blue petal through the bars and Diancie took it. The Fairy type examined the petal before turning around to get a small bowl and stone. " _Believe you me, there are unforeseen consequences about your decision._ "

"Like what?" Chloe asked.

Diancie placed the petal in the bowl and crushed it into tiny pieces with the stone. Then, she began forming bright pink dust around her head, the dust she would use to form her diamonds. " _If you think making the potion is dangerous, wait until you use it._ "

Chloe was now getting a little nervous as she continued listening to Diancie. " _You might end up either with a happily ever after, a hurting false love, or a broken heart._ " The female Trainee only gulped in fear, while Snivy hugged the back of her neck, trying to comfort her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dawn had flown back to the entrance of her manor, with a running Quilava under her. "Is the Trainee taken care of?" She asked.

" _She's a slippery one._ " Quilava answered.

Dawn growled. "How hard is it to catch one Trainee?" She asked rhetorically.

She then landed in the main foyer, where Piplup and Ambipom were sitting near the edge of the wall, and Johanna was waiting for her in the middle of the foyer.

"Hello, darling." She greeted cheerfully.

Dawn groaned, knowing exactly what was going to happen next. "Not now, Mom." She said, turning away from her mother.

Johanna, however, was not fazed by her daughter's incompetence. "Relax, honey." She told her. One by one, three men entered the foyer. But Dawn still had her back turned to everyone in the room. When Johanna would try to introduce them, Dawn would reply her answer.

"Feast your eyes on-"

"No."

"Barry is into Pokémon battles."

"No."

"Paul's hobby is hunting."

"Mom!" Dawn groaned.

Johanna groaned. "All you need is somebody to-"

Dawn whipped around to glare her mother in the eye. "Don't say it." She hissed.

Johanna huffed. "What is it with you?" She asked. "You don't even like hearing the word 'lo-'". She was cut off by her daughter putting her hand over her mouth. "So this is what I get for carrying you and bringing you into the world?"

"Promise to stop talking?" Dawn asked her. Her mother nodded, and Dawn removed her hand. But then, the three male Trainees came over to her, smiling dashingly. Her response to that was a stone-cold glare.

* * *

Back in the dungeon, Diancie was stirring the dust with the crushed up forget-me-not petal in the bowl.

" _And now for the final ingredient._ " She said. She stepped away from the bowl and gave the air a kiss. Pink hearts appeared and landed in the bowl, making the mixture complete and a bright glowing pink.

Diancie then made her eyes glow bright blue, and the bowl levitated up in the air, having a blue highlight around it. Then, a small glass vial with gold intricate designs on it flaoted over, having the same blue light around it. The bowl then tipped over, pouring the potion into the vial, making the inside glow pink.

Diancie then caught the vial after she stopped using Psychic and corked it with a matching gold lid. She then turned to Chloe.

" _Here's the directions._ " She said. " _Dust the one you love, stand in front, be the first thing he sees when he opens his eyes._ "

"Got it!" Chloe said. Diancie then handed the vial to Chloe, and she took it. Snivy then placed it inside her Trainee's satchel.

"Now, how can we get you out?" Chloe wondered. She then noticed the Barrier around Diancie's cell.

"This Barrier is made specifically for Fairy types, right?" She asked.

Diancie nodded with a grimace. " _Apparently, that's the Shadow Lady's personal ability. She can create unbreakable defensive shields against almost anything, but only against one specfic thing at a time._ "

Chloe whistled lowly. "Impressive, though." She said. "Anyway, since this was specified for Fairy types, it must be weaker against other types." She then got into a battle ready stance. "Snivy, Leaf Blade!" She commanded.

Snivy leaped off her Trainee's shoulder and flipped around like a ball, the leaf-like end of her tail glowing green with power. Then, Snivy stopped her flips, and hit the Barrier with her attack. Upon impact, the Barrier broke away like shattered glass.

Joyously, Diancie then made a sharp staff of pink light appear, and she sliced the cell bars in half. Then, she hugged Chloe tightly.

" _Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!_ " She cried out joyfully.

* * *

Up over in the foyer, Dawn was breathing heavily, having the three Trainee men on the floor, all knocked out. Johanna was looking at her with disappointment and frustration, while Piplup and Ambipom peeked out of their hiding spots nervously, hoping that their Trainee's workout was over.

Suddenly, Dawn felt a tingle in her wings, remembering how her wings would glow brightly and synchronized when-

"Diancie?" Dawn asked, looking towards the hallway that leads down to the dungeon. "She can't be!" She immediately then began running into the hallway, with Ambipom and Piplup following her.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you guys like Chloe and Dawn's special abilities as Trainees, since I kind of started to input that in the previous chapter with Ash. Soon, we'll see what Ritchie's ability is, but it won't be for a while unfortunately.**

 **I guess I'll see y'all in Chapter 10! Please leave a review about you think.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	11. A Partially Successful Escape

The Power of Love

 **A/N: Again, I'm sorry for taking forever on this. But I lost the movie on cable and it's hard to find it on YouTube or other sites without paying. Well, maybe I can get some work done on some stories that I haven't got much work done in a while.**

 **Anyway, let's begin with Chapter 10 before some of you might get violent.**

 _Italics-_ **Pokémon speech**

Chapter 10

A Partially Successful Escape

Chloe carefully headed back out of the cell with Snivy's help from her Vine Whip, the thin green vines holding up the hatch.

"All right, now." Chloe whispered to herself. "Easy does it." She held up the hatch for Diancie to float through. But it seemed that Diancie was too excited that she was out that she didn't care about stealth at the moment.

 _"I'm free!"_ She exclaimed as she zoomed out of the hatch, startling Chloe and Snivy, the latter jumping onto her Trainee's shoulder in surprise, and began floating around the empty dungeon. She kept on saying that sentence as she spun around in the air, rejoicing in her newfound freedom.

"Can you keep it down?!" Chloe quietly hissed at the Rock and Fairy type. "We're still in the dungeon!"

Diancie still didn't seemed to be paying attention as she continued relishing in her being free. Chloe rolled her eyes as she started towards the stone staircase. "I think prison caused her to lose a few of her marbles." She whispered to Snivy.

 _"No kidding."_ Snivy whispered back.

Diancie then zoomed back down to the two of them. _"I'm free! Did I mention I'm free?"_

Chloe pressed a finger to her lips. "Quiet!" She whispered.

As the three of them started up the stairs, Diancie suddenly stopped. _"Wait!"_ She exclaimed.

"Now what?" Chloe asked, turning to the Diamond Pokémon.

 _"How did you two find me?"_ Diancie asked.

"A Purrloin." Chloe answered before turning back towards the stairs.

 _"A Purrloin?"_ Diancie asked. _"Oh, it better not be that one little troublemaker! I refused to make him a love potion one time a couple of years back, and now, he would do anything to cause some trouble with it. Most likely spread it around like Foongus spores."_ That last comment made Chloe and Snivy gag in disgust.

Diancie then floated up to the front. _"Hey."_ She said, getting Chloe's attention. _"Never let that Purrloin get that potion."_ She warned.

"Okay, I won't." Chloe promised.

Suddenly, there was rapid footsteps coming down the stone stairs. Chloe, Snivy and Diancie quickly hid behind them as Dawn a.k.a the Shadow Lady zoomed down, followed by Piplup, Ambipom and Quilava.

Dawn saw the trap door slightly ajar. "No, no, no." She growled. "Quilava, sound the alarm." She ordered.

Quilava went over to a bell-like object and cried loudly into it, the sound loudly resonating throughout the dungeon.

Taking that as a cue to leave, Chloe immediately zipped up the stairs, Diancie following her. However, they didn't get far when they bumped into a large group of Trainees and their Pokémon.

"Oh, come on." Chloe groaned. Everyone made their move forward, but Chloe shot up into the air. "Snivy, use Leaf Storm!" Chloe commanded.

The little Grass type jumped off her Trainee's shoulder and began spinning around rapidly. Hundreds of bright green leaves began forming around her. Then, with a push of her tail, the swarm of leaves attacked most of the Pokémon and their Trainees.

Diancie saw a couple of Trainees trying to grab her, so with a flick of her hand upward she created a barrier made from pink diamonds. She laughed when they face planted right into the diamond wall.

Chloe was dodging left and right as Trainees tried to get her. A Flash Cannon attack went straight at her, but her Butterfree wings began glowing a dazzling silver. The Steel type attack then had a white outline form around, and Chloe psychically reversed the attack towards the Pokémon who fired it.

 _"Go, Chloe!"_ Diancie said, blocking another attack with a pink diamond wall. _"I'll hold them off! It's really me that they want!"_

"But I promised you your freedom!" Chloe said.

 _"Just go!"_ Diancie shouted firmly.

Chloe was still reluctant, but eventually gave in to her new friend's command. "Snivy, we need an escape!" She called to her Pokémon partner, who was using Vine Whip to keep attackers at bay. "Use Leaf Storm once more!"

 _"You got it!"_ Snivy said with affirmation. The little Grass type jumped high into the air and once again started spinning rapidly. The bright green leaves began forming another swirling dome and she then pushed the leaves towards the attackers with a flick of her tail.

As the attackers began worrying about the leaves that were blowing around everywhere, Snivy landed back on Chloe's shoulder, and they headed off towards the exit.

Diancie had protected herself with a diamond shield, and once the leaves had receded, she made her shield disintegrate in pink sparkles. She might have breathed a sigh of relief too soon, because once she tried to float away, she hit something invisible. She felt around her and saw that she was trapped in another Barrier. Dawn then flapped down to her, her wings strangely not glowing because of the paint over them.

"This will not happen again." She growled, glaring fiercely at the Rock and Fairy type. Diancie whimpered slightly, but at least Chloe and Snivy got away safely.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chloe and Snivy zipped out of the secret crack in the wall, breathing heavily. Their sudden appearance made Purrloin wake from his nap with a start.

 _"Whoa, ladies!"_ He exclaimed. _"You both really know how to make a cat lose one of his nine lives."_

"Sorry about that, Purrloin." Chloe said. "We just barely got out by the skin of our teeth."

 _"And the love potion?"_ Purrloin asked eagerly. _"Do you get it?"_ Chloe nodded. _"Wonderful! May I have a peek?"_

Suddenly, Chloe remembered what Diancie had warned her and Snivy about a Purrloin who would do anything just to get his paws on a love potion because she had denied to make one for him. This particular Purrloin must be the one she was talking about. How else would he know about the crack in the wall that led to the dungeon? "Actually, Snivy and I have to get going now." She said, about to fly away. "We have to get back to the Kanto Kingdom for tonight's festival."

 _"Can I at least see it for one quick second?"_ Purrloin pleaded, reaching for Chloe's satchel with a paw. Snivy swatted it away with a Vine Whip.

 _"No way, mister!"_ She said. _"Diancie warned us about you."_ Then, she used her vines to smack Purrloin off the edge and make him hang onto a root that was poking out of the ground under the manor for dear life. _"Sayonara, whiskers!"_ She shouted as she and Chloe flew away.

* * *

Back in the dungeon, Dawn roughly tossed the Barrier holding Diancie back into the cell, making the Mythical Pokémon a little dizzy.

"What did you do?" She demanded.

Diancie knew that she couldn't lie while she was trapped inside the Barrier. She had tried that once, and the Barrier got so small that she couldn't breathe. That was one experience that she didn't want to relive.

 _"Well, the Trainee girl asked me to make the love potion."_ Diancie began explaining.

"But you didn't have a forget-me-not." Dawn interrupted, confused as to how she could make the love potion without the most important component.

 _"And she brought me a forget-me-not."_ Diancie continued nervously.

"You made the potion?!" Dawn shrieked angrily.

That question made Diancie more angry than afraid. _"Just like I did for you! On that fateful day you never let me try to explain to you!"_ She yelled.

"Where is she?!" Dawn shouted back, making Diancie lose her bravery all of a sudden.

 _"Um, halfway to the Spring Festival by now?"_ She guessed with a squeak.

Dawn hissed angrily and left the cell, closing the hatch with a loud bang. Diancie was worried about Chloe, hoping that Dawn wouldn't hurt her to get and destroy the potion, or worse.

* * *

In a matter of minutes, Dawn had her faithful Trainees and their Pokémon gathered in the outside courtyard.

"Who wants to go to a party tonight?" Dawn asked maliciously.

Her answer were several cheers and cries of agreement. With a flick of her wings, she was up in the air with her followers, and the army began heading towards the Kanto Kingdom as the sun began to set.

* * *

 **A/N: Finally! This scene that this chapter was based off wasn't my favorite, so I had to change it up a bit. Hopefully, I won't take forever next time, because this little adventure is just beginning.**

 **Until Chapter 11, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think! They are highly appreciated.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


	12. Festival Gone Chaotic

The Power of Love

 **A/N: Yikes! Sorry about that, everyone, but I've completely forgotten about this story, so it hasn't been updated for a year! Sorry! I've been so busy with other things. Mainly school and progress with my other stories.**

 **But thanks to twilight sparkle, I've finally managed to get the creative boost I needed to finish this way overdue chapter! Let's get on with it, then! Roll it!**

Chapter 11

Festival Gone Chaotic

That very same night, the village of the Kanto Kingdom was buzzing with life and joy. Lights were strung throughout, there was a stage set up in the plaza, and there was a carnival being held at the outskirts.

Chloe was up at the stage, Snivy on her shoulder and getting ready to start the dance. The royal family had just arrived at the festival, with the queen waving and smiling brightly to her subjects, and the twin princes looking bored out of their minds. Queen Delia had pushed Ash over towards the dance floor and kept Ritchie beside her.

"Hello there, Kanto Kingdom!" Chloe exclaimed, making the crowd cheer loudly. Ash and Ritchie cracked a smile at their friend livening up the party. "Is everyone ready to party?" Her answer was more cheering.

Braixen was with Serena, on the sidelines. She reluctantly nudged her Trainee's side. " _He's here, Serena._ " She whispered.

Serena saw Ash looking bored out of his mind as he got in line to dance by the pushing of his mother. She smirked. "Tonight, I'll make sure that he will love me again."

Ash barely moved as he swayed side to side in the dance as Chloe began singing a popular song. Her voice was really good, but he still didn't feel like dancing. Especially after being dragged against his will to come. Pikachu also looked bored out of his mind.

Ritchie felt like he couldn't tear his eyes away from his friend as she sang and danced in the air. A soft smile came up on his face. But then, his mother reverted his attention back to the dance, making him slightly blush and groan in annoyance. Sparky bit back a chuckle at what must have been going through his Trainee's head, making Ritchie turn a brighter shade of scarlet.

"Shut it." He whispered to his scruffy-furred Pikachu, dispelling the blush from his face.

As Chloe continued singing, she subtly made her way over to Ritchie and winked at him with a playful smile. Even though Ritchie felt an unfamiliar heat burst in his cheeks, he still returned the grin and wink. That is, until his mother pulled him away so that they could talk with some of the dignitaries.

Chloe felt her heart slightly sink when she saw that. But then, as she moved back to the center of the stage singing, she saw Serena hiding near the side of it. She made a questioning look at her. Subtly, she pulled out the glowing pink love potion from in her satchel. Serena gave her a wink before vanishing back into the crowd. Chloe really hoped that this wasn't a mistake.

Serena then jumped up into the dance lineup, introducing herself to her partner with a smile and wink. "May I join?" She asked politely.

At the other side of the opposing line, Ash saw Serena in line. _You have got to be kidding me!_ He screamed internally, and Pikachu's cheeks sparked dangerously. He thought he made it very clear back at the Spring Ball that he wanted nothing to do with his ex-fiancée, but apparently, she doesn't know when to quit.

He immediately flew up and out of the line, leaving a space in between two other Trainees, and went to where his mother and brother were.

"Hey, Ritchie." Ash said to his twin brother. "Serena's here, so I'm leaving." With that, he flew away to keep an eye on the perimeter of the festivities.

"Ash!" Delia called after her son.

Ritchie knew that Ash would do anything if it means that Serena wasn't within a fifty-foot radius of him. And since he was going to be patrolling from above, he might as well take ground level. And it would a good chance to get some revenge on his brother's behalf.

"I'll take his spot, Mom." He said as he quickly flew down towards the dance floor.

"Ritchie!" Delia shouted after her other son. "Not you, too!" She sighed with defeat. "Boys."

The other prince jumped into the vacant spot that was occupied by Ash. "May I cut in?" Ritchie asked his partner with a polite smile.

Serena scowled for a moment at who was soon to be her dance partner instead, but then a look of fear replaced it. She glanced up at Chloe, who was slowly taking the love potion out of her satchel once she saw that Ritchie was in the dance line.

"Serena." A cold voice snapped her back to who was in front of her. It was the other prince. A wicked, mischievous smirk came on his face. "Let's dance."

Ritchie grabbed her hand and quickly began spinning her around rapidly in a circle, up to the point to where she could see stars. All the while, Ritchie began leading her up onto the stage. Braixen watched her Trainee's face slowly turn green, and not an attractive shade at that, which almost made her laugh. Sparky however, who was on his Trainee's shoulder, was enjoying every minute of it.

However, no one was noticing that there were a few shadowy stragglers among the dancing crowds. But from their vantage point on top of a roof, Ash and Pikachu started to take note of them. The Trainee prince placed a steady hand on his sword.

One by one, the figures got on the stage, with Ariados appearing from the top of it, spitting out String Shot attacks, tying up the musicians. However, Chloe was unknowingly dodging the threads as she struggled to open the bottle.

" _You can't get the stupid thing open?"_ Snivy asked.

"I'm working on it!" Chloe quietly hissed as the instrumental part of the song came on.

"Chloe, don't!" Serena tried to get her attention as Ritchie forcefully guided her towards the blond Trainee.

Meanwhile, Ash was fighting off some Shadow Trainees, his sword swinging around and Pikachu tackling their Pokémon. However, they got them restrained. Ash and Pikachu struggled fiercely to break free. A Graveler held Pikachu in its four arms, and since it's a Ground type, Electric attacks wouldn't work.

" _This one's too feisty."_ A dirty Quilava said, regarding the squirming Ash. " _Go get the other one."_

The Trainee nodded and went off towards the stage. Ash then knew who he was going after.

"Ritchie!" He shouted.

" _Sparky!"_ Pikachu tried to get his fellow Pikachu's attention.

Finally, Chloe had managed to uncork the bottle. "There we go." She whispered.

"Chloe, no!" Serena said the minute she regained her bearings.

Right as Chloe had turned around to dust Ritchie, she stopped half-way when she saw that the object of her affections was right in front of her, completely aware of her presence.

"Care to do the honors, Chloe?" Ritchie asked her with a mischievous smile.

"Ritchie!" She exclaimed.

" _Whoops!"_ Snivy added.

" _There you are, sweetheart!"_ A familiar voice to Chloe and Snivy called up from above. Chloe only looked up for a moment before she was tackled to the ground by the Purrloin from earlier in the Shadow Forest.

"What the?" Ritchie exclaimed, completely forgetting about Serena, who had decided to make her escape.

Chloe struggled to keep Purrloin at bay, though he had managed to get his paws on the bottle. "Let go!" She ordered. But during the struggle, some of the potion spilled out and sifted through the air towards Ritchie. "No!"

Ash recognized the glow of the pink glittering potion. "Love potion?" He muttered in horror. "No!"

Ritchie was too late to shield his eyes from the potion, and his face was powdered with the stuff. Sparky was fortunate enough to have avoided the dust. "No, no!" Chloe shouted.

The younger prince slightly stumbled from the dust that got into his eyes, and a large sack was pulled over him and Sparky. Ash continued to struggle to break free and get to his brother, but it wasn't any good.

"Guards!" Delia shouted as she tried to get to her younger son, but she too was stopped by some Shadow Trainees, along with some of the guards. "My son!" All the festivities came to a halt as all of the Shadow Trainees and their Pokémon made themselves known in the Kanto Kingdom.

"Mom! Ash! Help!" Ritchie shouted from inside the sack. He couldn't get his sword out of its sheath for fear that he might hurt either Sparky or himself if he did. He was about to open his eyes, but Sparky stopped.

" _Don't open your eyes!"_ Sparky said, making Ritchie quickly close them again. " _Once your eyes open, you'll go ga-ga over the first person or creature you see!"_

The scruffy-furred Pikachu prepared to zap the sack and make it disintegrate, but Ritchie stopped him. "No, don't!" He said. "If you zap the sack, you zap me too."

Sparky growled in frustration at their predicament. They were stuck in a stupid burlap sack of all things, and they can't cut it open or destroy it without hurting the other, themselves, or Ritchie being at risk of falling under the potion's spell.

"Ritchie, hang on!" Chloe said to him, still struggling to keep the love potion. But Purrloin finally wrestled it away from her grip, corking it.

" _No one double-crosses me and gets away with it."_ He hissed.

Chloe tried to go after him, but she and Snivy were restrained by two Shadow Trainees. "Why do you want to misuse the potion?" She demanded.

Purrloin ignored her question. " _See you ladies around."_ He said with a mock salute before scurrying away, the potion held by his tail.

Chloe huffed. "I'm sorry, Diancie." She whispered, knowing that she failed to keep her promise to the Mythical Pokémon.

"Where's the potion?" An angry female voice called out, echoing throughout the plaza. Suddenly, a dark figure appeared on the stage, crouched in a defensive position. Then, it slowly stood up and began walking up to the front, making everyone either gasp or stare in shock.

Dawn stood there, her darkened Beautifly-shaped wings spread out, her eyes cold and narrowed in anger at the Kanto Trainees. When her gaze met Ash's, his eyes narrowed as well.

"I'll say this one more time." She said coldly. "Where is the potion?" She unsheathed her sword and embedded it in the wood, almost hitting Chloe's fingers when she tried to free Ritchie and Sparky from the sack.

When no one answered her, she angrily scoffed. "Very well." She said. "If that's what you want." She whistled sharply, and a few Venomoth and Yanmega came down to her. "Get the prisoner out of here." She ordered.

The Bug Pokémon nodded their heads in obedience, and they each grabbed the sack holding Ritchie and Sparky and began carrying them into the sky.

Ash had enough of it. He struggled even more fiercely and got closer to Dawn. "Release my brother, you dirty piece of swamp filth!" He cursed.

Everyone gasped at the older prince's foul language, and Dawn growled at him. However, from her hiding spot, Serena was impressed by Ash's tenacity and sharp tongue aimed at the infamous Shadow Lady. And she thought that he hated _her_.

Dawn came closer to him and offered him her proposition. "Return the love potion before sunrise, tough guy, or you'll never see your brother again."

Ash gritted his teeth at her. "I'll have your wings clipped!" He said, managing to sweep Dawn's legs under her with one of his own, making the crowd gasp again, not just at his actions, but also by the threat he made, which was the worst one a Trainee can make at another.

Dawn got back up, her eyes even colder than before as she glared at Ash. She lifted her sword up, ready to deal a fatal blow.

"Stop!" Chloe shouted, making Dawn lower her sword. "Take me instead! I took the love potion!"

"Chloe!" Ash yelled, angry not only because she, out of all the Trainees he knew, would do something like that, but also because she offered herself up.

Dawn zipped over to her. "Then give it back." She ordered.

"I, I don't have it anymore." The blonde Trainee admitted, making Dawn growl again.

The blunette Trainee flew higher up where she could address the crowd. "You've heard my terms." She said. "Before sunrise, or I'll tear this kingdom apart!"

With that threat made, she flew away, leading her followers back to the Shadow Forest, with Richie and Sparky in tow.

The minute that Ash was free from who was restraining him, he grabbed them both and tossed them up into the sky after delivering a punch to the both of them in their jaws. He roared angrily as he flew up to try and follow the invaders. But then, someone grabbed his ankle, preventing him from flying any further.

Ash looked down to see who had stopped him. "Mom!" He exclaimed.

"I forbid you to fly into the Shadow Forest!" Delia said sternly, pulling her older son back to the ground.

"Mom, I let this happen!" Ash said, knowing that he would've been doing the rounds he was supposed to do instead of avoiding Serena, Ritchie would've been safe. "I have to get him back!"

"I have to get him back." Delia corrected him, holding him by the shoulders. "I have to keep you safe." Ash sighed heavily, knowing that this time, he can't disagree with his mother.

As the queen began making preparations to lead an army into the Shadow Forest, Ash turned to Chloe.

"What were you thinking?!" He demanded, making his friend flinch from his angry tone. Ash quickly calmed down. "Why?" He asked.

Chloe sighed. "I….I don't know what I was thinking." She said regretfully, knowing that she was fully to blame.

Ash bit his lip in worry. "What are we going to do?" He asked. "Ritchie can't fight off everyone at once, even with Sparky helping him, and if he opens his eyes, who knows who he'll fall in love with."

"Let me help you rescue him." Chloe offered.

"No, it's too dangerous." Ash said.

" _We've been there before."_ Snivy added in. " _We can lead you to the Shadow Lady's manor."_

" _And risk you two getting captured for your crime?"_ Pikachu asked rhetorically. " _Not a chance."_

"Pikachu's right." Ash said. "Besides, I'm the only one who can save him." His Electric type partner cleared his throat at him. "We're the only ones who can save him." He corrected.

"So what do we do?" Chloe asked him.

"You two, get that potion back." Ash said. "We'll get my brother!"

Once he said, Ash quickly took off into the air, fleeing the plaza with Pikachu perched on his shoulder.

"Ash!" Delia called after her rebellious son.

Serena smirked. "Looks like I have to help save….two princes." She said to herself.

Delia angrily turned to Chloe. "Chloe!" She shouted. "If anything happens to my sons, I'll be holding you personally responsible!"

Chloe hung her head. "I understand, Your Majesty." She said.

Delia then continued to give her army orders. Chloe got off the stage. "I never should've listened to Serena in the first place." She muttered.

" _Yeah, maybe."_ Snivy said. " _But truth be told, when it comes to Ritchie, you tend to lose all reason."_ Chloe gave her Grass type partner a brief smile, knowing that it was true. " _You can still make things right, though. We just got to find that slippery Purrloin before he causes too much trouble."_

Chloe nodded, a determined look in her eyes. "Ritchie's my best friend." She said. "I'll do anything to help him."

" _Then, what are you waiting for?"_ Snivy asked her Trainee.

Chloe smirked confidently. "Nothing!" She said, before shooting into the air like a missile in search of the love potion.

* * *

 **A/N: Hopefully, I won't take forever with the other chapters following. But I can't promise very frequent updates, since I'm almost done with my senior year and I have a lot of other stories that other readers want me to continue. And it will take some time to get into this "Strange Magic" vibe that I've lost since I haven't seen the movie in forever.**

 **But at least I'm not going to copy the entire movie. That would be way too corny, and besides, it's copyrighted.**

 **Until Chapter 12, I'll see y'all! Please leave a review about what you think! They are highly appreciated.**

 **Got to fly! ;)**


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